Moon God Peak.

When Tushan Jingci woke, she found herself inside a quiet, secluded courtyard.

Around the courtyard, layer upon layer of spell formations had been densely laid out. These formations were tightly connected to the grand formation Tushan had recently arranged, and they were firmly suppressing Tushan Jingci’s cultivation realm.

Tushan Jingci swept out one wide sleeve, and the golden body of her dharma form slammed its palm viciously against the formation barrier. Yet the formation did not budge in the slightest. Not even a single crack appeared.

“Jingci, don’t waste your strength.” Tushan Meng stood outside the courtyard, looking calmly at her disciple. “You cannot break this formation.”

“Master, you should understand this—outsiders cannot be trusted.” Tushan Jingci spoke coldly. “Are you truly going to place the fate of all Tushan into the hands of that woman of unknown origin?”

“I told you long ago. I know what I am doing.” Tushan Meng shook her head, a trace of helplessness in her tone. “Although you are now at perfected completion of the Immortal Realm, in the end, you are still too young.”

Tushan Meng looked at Tushan Jingci with deep, unfathomable eyes and said, word by word, “Remember this. Only those who know how to use everything around them that can be used are fit to be the ruler of Tushan. That includes using certain things of unknown origin.”

Tushan Jingci said nothing. She only stared back coldly at her master.

“Enough. I won’t say more.” Tushan Meng turned away and no longer looked at her. Her voice drifted back from behind her. “Before long, you will thank me.”

After returning to Moon-Gazing Peak, Tushan Meng sat back down in the courtyard and slowly closed her eyes. She was still deducing something, her expression calm and focused.

An hour later, Tushan Hongxia arrived before Tushan Meng and bowed respectfully.

“Grand Elder, the Human Alliance has agreed to attend the negotiations.”

“Mm. I know.” Tushan Meng nodded slightly. Her tone was flat, with neither joy nor anger audible in it. “How are things on our Demon Alliance’s side?”

“Well...” Tushan Hongxia hesitated. A troubled look appeared on her face.

“Just say it,” Tushan Meng said lightly.

“Yes...”

Tushan Hongxia weighed her words in her heart.

“Regarding your decision to hold peace talks with the human race, Grand Elder, many in the demon race truly no longer wish to continue fighting.”

“After all, there are rumors saying that the reason the Ten Thousand Arts world has been helping the Human Alliance so vigorously is because it wants to use the Human Alliance as a blade to continuously drain the fighting strength of our demon-race world.”

“Right now, the Ten Thousand Arts world is quietly resting and recovering on its side, while our demon-race world is mired in civil war. They are constantly worried that one day, the Ten Thousand Arts world will suddenly break through the barrier between the two worlds and invade the demon-race world in force.”

“And that is not even mentioning the fact that Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng are very likely to step into the Ascension Realm within a hundred years. That, too, is an invisible pressure.”

“However, many kingdoms and sects are also dissatisfied. They believe peace talks will damage the dignity of the demon race. The Soaring Serpent clan, in particular.”

After Tushan Hongxia finished speaking, silence fell over the courtyard.

“Go tell the Soaring Serpent clan and the other demon cultivators who oppose the peace talks this—inviting them to Tushan this time does not necessarily mean any agreement must be reached immediately. For many matters, everyone should sit down and talk first. If the talks fail, then so be it.”

Only after a long while did Tushan Meng slightly lift her eyes. Her gaze was deep as she slowly spoke.

“They will still give this old woman some face.”

“I understand.”

Tushan Hongxia answered solemnly. Then her figure flickered, and before long, she vanished into the boundless night.

In the courtyard, Tushan Meng continued pouring tea for herself at an unhurried pace, but in her heart, her deductions never stopped for even a moment.

These so-called “peace talks” were nothing more than an excuse.

What she truly wanted—

was only to make them come to Tushan.

That was all!

......

News that the Human Alliance and the Demon Alliance were about to begin preliminary peace talks soon spread throughout the entire demon-race world.

With Tushan presiding over the matter, the Human Alliance and the Demon Alliance also temporarily entered a state of ceasefire.

On the Human Alliance’s side, they too kept deducing the possible outcome of the peace talks, as well as what might happen when the time came.

As for the candidates who would go to Tushan to participate in the negotiations, the Human Alliance first excluded Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng from the list.

Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng could now be called the hope and future of the entire Human Alliance’s rise.

As long as the two of them remained safe, even if some accident occurred during these peace talks, the Human Alliance would still be able to possess two peak combatants of the Ascension Realm in the future.

Xiao Mo did not have much objection to Daoist Yunxi’s arrangement.

To tell the truth, Xiao Mo himself already believed that the chances of these negotiations between the Human Alliance and the Demon Alliance succeeding were exceedingly slim. In all likelihood, they would end in haste with nothing settled.

Even if he went, it would be useless.

Moreover, Gui Junmeng had only emerged from seclusion not long ago. It had not been easy for her to stabilize the realm she had just broken through to.

If nothing unexpected happened, he and Junmeng would be able to carry out the final dual practice within two months.

Xiao Mo’s original plan had been to first help Gui Junmeng ascend to the Ascension Realm.

After Gui Junmeng stepped into the Ascension Realm and completed her own Great Dao, Xiao Mo would then make other plans and find some way to help Jingci step into ascension as well.

Besides, if he went to Tushan, whether or not he would be of any real help to the peace talks aside—

after what had happened at the wedding, with Jingci’s current obstinate state of mind, if she saw him, she would likely lose all reason. When the time came, things would only become even more troublesome.

And yet, on a certain night—

as Xiao Mo sat in the courtyard with his eyes closed in meditation, his mind immersed in the flow of resonance of the Way—

a flying sword suddenly tore down from the night sky. Carrying a sharp killing edge, it stabbed straight toward Xiao Mo’s brow.

Xiao Mo opened his eyes.

That flying sword came to an abrupt halt one inch before Xiao Mo’s brow, trapped by the long river of yin and yang, unable to move even a single step forward.

The entire body of the flying sword trembled, humming without cease.

“Such heavy killing intent?”

Xiao Mo’s expression did not change. He slowly raised a hand and lightly tapped the flying sword. The killing intent and spiritual power on it abruptly vanished.

The flying sword seemed to have had all its strength drawn out. It fell from the air and landed on Xiao Mo’s knees.

This was a flying-sword message.

Xiao Mo opened the hidden compartment in the sword’s body. Inside, there was a slip of paper.

He slowly unfolded the slip. Only a few sparse words were written on it.

And yet, those few words made Xiao Mo’s brows knit tightly together.

He stared at that slip of paper and read it again and again.

In the end, the slip ignited without wind, turning between Xiao Mo’s fingers into a wisp of pale smoke and a few flakes of ash—

“If you and that little bride of yours do not come to this round of Tushan peace talks, then her life, I’ll be taking it.”

......

......

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